The Detroit Red Wings are pushing ahead in the playoff race. Detroit has a chance to make the postseason and shut down their streak of not making the playoffs. Detroit is without one of their netminders right now, as Ville Husso is still out injured. There has been hope that he would return to the ice before the end of the season.
While that does not seem to be off the table, the Detroit Red Wings offered a pretty bleak update on their netminder. Husso seemingly still has a long road ahead to get back on the ice, but time is running out on the 2023-24 season. The Red Wings mentioned that they will try to get Husso a conditioning stint before he hits the ice again.
#RedWings Lalonde on Ville Husso: “I think the feel with Husso is to maybe get a conditioning stint similar to last time, but I think he’s got to get to a spot where he’s ready for that and he’s not there yet.” @griffinshockey
— Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) March 22, 2024
It would be similar to what he did in February before making his return before getting re-injured. Husso went to Grand Rapids and played a game in the AHL. He was deemed healthy, got his skates under him, and was able to get some shots sent his way before he headed to the NHL once again.
Detroit will likely do something similar with Husso once again, getting him a chance to see some pucks at the AHL level with Grand Rapids once again before heading back to the NHL. But while this is great, there's been talk that Husso is still pretty far away from this sort of conditioning stint, which prolongs a return as well.
Detroit Red Wings netminder Ville Husso is still ways out from a return.
Husso has not had a great year for Detroit; in fact, he's missed the majority of the season anyway. He returned for a game back in February, but he ended up getting injured and pulled early due to his injury. It was his first game back between the pipes for the Red Wings since December 18th, when he sustained an injury as well.
Since hockey injuries are so tight-lipped, it was labeled as a lower-body injury. He overextended while sliding across the crease and ended up having to be helped off the ice. That injury kept him out for quite some time. Next thing you know, a similar injury happened in his return game in February.
Husso left the game in February in a similar fashion. He was out with another "lower-body" injury, as labeled, and has been away from the team since. He started practicing again recently but has not been cleared to get back into a conditioning stint. The update makes it hard to believe he will be back in the crease. So, while he was back on the ice, he is still trying to work to return.
Do the Detroit Red Wings even need Ville Husso?
This is a tough one. With 11 games left on the schedule, the Detroit Red Wings are fighting and clawing to stay alive. The standings flip-flop by the day, and Detroit has to try and prove that they can keep on trucking. Alex Lyon has emerged as the team's starter this year.
James Reimer has been a serviceable backup but has yet to be called upon by the Red Wings organization. Husso has been the "third" goalie on this team since the injury. He's played in 19 games for the Red Wings this year, boasting a 9-5-2 record with a 3.55 goals-against average and .892 save percentage.
While Husso's record was part of the Red Wings hot start, his numbers were not pretty. So, with playoff hopes on the line, Lyon seems like the answer, but realistically, all three of them will play a part as the team keeps pushing along. Either way, Husso's struggles and slow return are a bit worrisome.